Underage Drinking | Drug Use Prevention
Alcohol-Induced Memory Blackouts Explained
Blackouts. Alcohol-induced memory blackouts. You may have heard one or both terms, but what do they mean? As an example, if you’ve ever found yourself in a bizarre argument with something who’s been drinking heavily or been on the receiving end of their behaviors too hurtful to rationalize and then felt even more betrayed the…
Read MoreConversations About Drinking – Starter Tips for Parents of Soon-to-be College Freshman
Conversations about drinking with your soon-to-be college freshman or high school senior? Isn’t it way too late? Consider these conversation starters. These aren’t your typical conversation starters. These are rooted in a bit of the science behind drinking and its impacts on the brain — the kinds of conversations that allow you and your teen…
Read MoreMemorial Day Holiday DUIs — It Takes Far Fewer Drinks Than You’d Think
With today as the official start of the Memorial Day holiday week-end, I thought I’d use this post to share some of the science of how it is that a well-intended person gets a DUI. Of course the obvious answer is they chose to drink and drive. So the obvious question, then, is, “WHY?” The…
Read MoreA Different Kind of Conversation About Underage Drinking
Broaching the topic of underage drinking with your teen — now that’s a conversation stopper! It’s that time of year — graduating high school seniors off to college in the fall, 19 year old college students home for the summer, and parents concerned about how to talk to them about drinking at this stage of the…
Read MoreMental Health – the Impacts of Childhood Trauma
May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States, and I want to zero in on one this year’s celebration objectives – to raise awareness of trauma and its impacts. Specifically, I want to zero in on childhood trauma. As Paolo del Vecchio wrote in his article, “AWARENESS: Understanding the Link Between Life Experiences and…
Read MoreDrinking – How Much is Too Much?
Drinking alcohol – how much is too much and how do you really know? Do you wonder why eating a big meal doesn’t keep you from getting drunk? Do you believe coffee will sober a friend up? Do you wonder why some can drink far more than others and still not seem drunk? Do you…
Read MoreHomeless Youth – Breaking The Cycles
Homeless youth – breaking the cycles and what it takes. The following is a guest post by Vincent Salazar of the Malibu House of Hope Project, whose mission is “to assist and inspire homeless youth, aged 18 to 24 in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, through transitional housing, and individualized assistance, to become self-supporting and…
Read MoreThe Choking Game – a New High
A Choking Game – who would play and why? Wow! on this story that I heard this morning on NPR’s Health Program by Rob Stein, “Deadly ‘Choking Game’ Comes With Big Risks.” Quoting from the show’s transcript: “‘The choking game is a strangulation activity that some kids participate in, using either their hands or something…
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